


Spider-Man: A Stark Reality

by thatispunacceptable



Series: Fallen Hero [5]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BAMF Peter Parker, F/M, M/M, Mentor Steve Rogers, Mentor Tony Stark, Peter Parker is the future, Steve tries his best, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2020-12-07 11:03:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20974853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatispunacceptable/pseuds/thatispunacceptable
Summary: Part 5After Tony is taken away, Peter and Steve search the universe for their lost friend. Peter struggles with his old habits, and finds himself being nudged into the position of leadership he was always meant to be in. Peter must lead the battle to find his mentor, and take down the biggest threat in the universe since Thanos.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> It's been a while! Life has been crazy. If you followed me while I was writing the other parts of this series you would know that I was posting quite regularly. Recently I've gotten a new job, which means that I will have less time to write, hence the massive break I took. BUT! I'm settling in now and hoping to have time to complete my story!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this, and thank you for coming this far with me!
> 
> Xx

He can hear metal work in the distance, somewhere far away, and yet, far too close. It’s too familiar, it sends chills up his spine and makes him gag on his own breath. He knows what they’re going to do, he knows, he saw the weapons when they dragged him through, he saw his name, and once again, he was back in hell. Taking a deep, shaky breath through is nose, he fists his hands by his sides as he falls to his knees on the concrete floor, letting out a grunt and pain shoots up his legs, bruised and still bleeding from the latest beating the masked man had decided to bestow upon him.

“Fuck.” He hisses, wincing as a tear escapes and catches in a large gash on his check.

Before him, the masked man paces slowly, watching him suffer, metal rod still in his hand, a dissatisfied and detached look upon his now exposed face.

“I am disappointed, Tony. I thought that for a genius you could produce a greater vocabulary than, ‘fuck’.” He sighs, spinning the rod in his hand casually, looking down upon Tony with mild distaste. “But, perhaps, you simply need a greater incentive than that of a pain free existence to guarantee your support on my project.”

Leaning forward to lean of his fists, Tony spat, wincing as he tasted blood. Since his arrival he had steadfastly refused to utter a single word, knowing the masked man matched his intelligence, and knowing he would deduce an answer based on any given response. Gritting his teeth, he silently chastised himself for allowing the word out, knowing now he had spoken, even one word, the man had some sway over him. 

“I have had my eye on you for a long while, long enough to know that you are the smartest of us all, myself excluded, obviously. I have also researched enough to know that you have very specific triggers, Tony.”

Tony felt himself beginning to shake as the sound of metal work grew louder. His body grew colder, felt more distant.

“Think of Pepper, think of Pepper, think of Pepper.” He muttered to himself as he shook his head slightly, desperate to wash away images of past torment. He could not afford to allow this enemy a victory.

The man above him smiled, listening to the small mutterings coming from his mouth, and offered only a chuckle in response.

“You think that will help?” He asked, walking closer and then crouching before him.

Tony gasped in pain as the man grabbed his chin and forced him to look up. He bit back a pained whine as he locked eyes with his tormentor. So very nearly identical to his own. It was a little ironic, his entire life he had thought himself his own worst enemy, and here before him, stood the evidence he needed to prove his claim. 

Other him, the masked man, tightened his grip as he let out a small cry. He watched as the man’s face contorted into one of anger.

“You really think that saying her name here will save you?” He hissed. “You really think that? You think you were the only one of us who ever loved her? We all had our own, we all loved her.” He pushed Tony back suddenly, causing him to scramble backwards, catching his bruised and probably broken wrists on the ground. His other universe doppelganger crouched over him. “I can show you how it feels to lose her, you know.” He whispered, “I could rip your heart out and watch you suffer.”

Tony stared at him, determined not to give him anything further, besides, he already knew what it was like to lose her.

“You rely so much on those around you.” The masked man sighed, spinning his metal rod casually. “On her, on Peter, hell, you still even trust the good Captain.”

Tony stuttered out a sigh and allowed himself to fall back on the floor, wanting to tune out his words, but the man did not stop.

“They all lost, every single one of them. We lost everything.” 

Tony sensed his doppelganger lean in closer to him and tensed instinctively.

“Tony, after we lost Pepper, after we lost the kids, they let us down. All of them did.” The man lowered his voice as though sharing a secret, “In all but two of the universes that I have travelled to, Thanos was able to defeat you. In every universe but yours, everyone we love was taken away by him.”

“You’re lying.” Tony mumbled, struggling to raise his voice after many weeks of disuse. 

His doppelganger spun of his feet, glaring down at him and violently threw his rod across the room, allowing it to hit the concrete wall with a loud bang.

“You would accuse me of lying?” He hissed, standing to loom over him, the sole of his boot coming to rest heavily on the back of his head. “You don’t think that every night I spend separated from the ones I love isn’t a nightmare. You don’t think I wish that I was lying?” He spoke, emotion thickening within his voice. “Every night I see the same scenes over and over again. I see Captain America crying out for me, and then turning to dust before my very eyes. I didn’t even get to Peter in time, I watched him from a distance. A distance, Tony! I watched him die, I heard him cry and I couldn’t even comfort him! I see myself calling Pepper, hoping and praying, and then walking into our house and seeing piles of dust in front of the T.V where she had been watching the battle with Morgan!”

He removed his foot from Tony’s head, allowing the other man to let out a shaky breath, cold against the hard floor. As he removed his foot, he began to raise his voice.  
“I wish I was fucking lying to you! I wish I could say ‘surprise’ and then they all walk out! But no! That will never happen! And it happened to all of us, all of us except you! You got to keep her! You got the avengers, you got Morgan, you got Peter! And us, well, we lost everything.”

Tony felt his heart twist in pain, his own mind recalling holding Peter in his arms as the boy faded into dust. He remembered returning to earth and being filled with relief upon Pepper’s greeting. But, he also remembered his reunion with Peter, picking to boy up from Titan and holding him close, vowing that Peter would never have to live that trauma again. 

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, coughing slightly as he did. “I wish I could help.”

He winced slightly as he forced his eyes open and attempted to lift his head to look his captor in the eye.

“I really do wish I could help. But I can’t. There’s nothing I can do.”

He felt something turn cold with dread as his captor expression shifted to one of deep and gleeful thought.

“Oh, Tony. I have a whole universe of pain to show you. I’m sure I can somehow convince you.”

With that, the man turned, placing his mask over his face and calling for a Mark.

“Wait, what are you doing?” Tony tried, knowing it was useless to cry out.

The Mark arrived at the metal door, pulling it open to allow the masked man his exit.

“Prepare out guest for multi-verse travel. We’ll be giving him a tour of what life outside of his little world looks like.”

The masked man looked at him for one last, long moment, his expression hidden from Tony’s view, before marching out of the room, leaving Tony alone with the Mark. With a deep sigh, Tony turned and lay on his back, wondering if he was still receiving karma for his past actions. 

Peter lay on his back, staring up at his ceiling, attempting to take his third nap of the day. He knew that MJ and Ned had been in the apartment attempting to visit him, but each time he had pretended to be asleep, tricking May into asking them to return another time. Well, he say’s tricking, really, he knew that she was aware he was pretending to sleep. He had no idea what to do, anytime he was awake he was filled with a deep misery and guilt, knowing he could have stopped Tony’s kidnapping. A part of him wanted to embrace what he did best, run away again, but he had promised May and Tony that he would no longer do that, and so, he reasoned with himself that he was still technically with them, even if he never surfaced from his room. Besides, he had a feeling that all he needed was some alone time, and then, when he was ready, he would be able to face the world once again. 

A noise in the apartment caught his attention. May was speaking with someone. He cringed, closing his eyes in a desperate hope that he would be left alone. Usually he would allow his enhanced hearing to listen in, but he felt so tired, far too drained to even entertain such a thought.

“Peter!” She called after several minutes of chatter with their mysterious guests. 

He kept his eyes closed, hoping she wouldn’t come to the door and force him to interact. Luck, it seemed, was not on his side, as he heard heavy footsteps that did not belong to her approaching his door. He evened out his breathing, perhaps if they saw him napping peacefully they would leave. He heard the handle turn and the door open, the heavy-footed guest stepping inside.

He continued breathing evenly, fighting the curiosity growing him to see who stood in his room.

“Peter, I know you’re awake.” Came the deep but gentle voice of Steve Rogers.

Peter resisted the urge to blink or move in response, carefully focussing on his even breathing. He heard Steve sigh and stiffened as he felt the bed move as Steve took a seat at the foot.

“Pete, come on. May say’s you’ve been hiding in here for weeks. She’s worried about you, so is Pepper.”

He unintentionally winced at Pepper’s name. He’d been barely responding to her messages, sending one word answers when she had texted to check in on him. 

After a long silence, he felt Steve scoot further down the bed, closer to him.

“Peter. Please. Rocket and I are ready to step into the multiverse and find Tony. The machine is ready but we really want you there when we get him.”

He bit his lip, knowing he’d well and truly shown Steve he was listening, but refused to open his eyes, knowing the Captains disappointed face would await him. Silence filled the room, enough that Peter could hear his aunt chatting with Rocket in the other room, the two were laughing together. He frowned, how could anyone be happy at a time like this? 

Steve sighed heavily and got up from the bed, slowly walking back towards the door, he paused halfway.

“No one is disappointed in you, Peter.” He said quietly. “We’re all proud of you, of how you fought at the warehouse.” He hesitated for a second and then took a step back towards the bed. “I know I wasn’t as close with him as you were, especially over the last few years, but I know Tony is proud of you, and he loves you. You’re like a son to him. There isn’t anything you could do to make him change his mind about you.”

Peter felt his lip tremble a little and a small tear escaped his eye, catching him off guard.

“Think it over, Pete.” Steve prompted, then turned, exiting the room.

He lay there a little while longer, listening as Steve and Rocket spoke with May in the next room, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew Steve had lied, he was a disappointment. But maybe, just maybe, he could make it up them. Pushing himself up off of the bed, he stood unsteadily, head swimming and causing him to wonder when the last time he’d actually stood up was. Hesitantly, he walked across the room and opened his door, just as Steve and Rocket were about to exit the apartment.

“Wait.” He croaked, his voice uneven and eyes red.

The three turned to look at him, each with varying degrees of hidden pride on their faces.

“Wait.” He said again. “I’ll come with you.”


	2. The other world

Time moved quickly for Peter, or rather, faster than it had in the weeks since Tony’s capture. For the first time in many days, he felt a small amount of energy and purpose enter him once again. With that energy, he was able to see how poorly Steve was handling Tony’s absence. While he had, after the events of Siberia, held a significant grudge against Steve for how he treated his mentor, he had always held a small amount of admiration for how the man remain constantly composed under pressure. And yet, for the second time today, he heard him swear under his breath. This was not uncommon for him to hear when he worked alongside Tony, who made a small attempt to clean his language when Peter was present, but Steve had always struck Peter as a pure mouthed man, and his slip caused Peter to wonder just how much stress he was under. 

They had arrived at the compound not too long ago, with both Steve and Rocket leading him in the hangar that contained the malfunctioning portal built and designed by Tony. They were greeted by Nat and Quill as they moved within earshot of the two.

“Peter!” Nat called to him, walking over with a warm smile.

“Hi Nat.” Peter returned, a little quiet as his confidence had not yet returned to him fully.

She reached him and placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling up at him.

“We were so happy to hear that you chose to come with Steve and Rocket. We enjoy having you around.”

Peter looked at her, a small amount of surprise and disbelief mingling in him at her words.

“Yeah, that and if we combine you and Rockets brains we might have a chance of figuring out how to fix Starks machine.” Quill called bluntly, walking over with a grin on his face.

“Quill.” Steve reprimanded quietly, his voice low. “Peter has had a hard few months. If he chooses to he may join Rocket in the repairs. However, he is more than welcome to simply be present upon Tony’s return.”

Peter looked between the two, a little caught off guard by Quills candour.

“Oh, no. No, um, it’s totally fine. I’m more than happy to help Rocket.” He said quickly, looking down at the creature standing next to him. “That’s if you want me to of course.”

Rocket looked up at him, shrugging a little as he did.

“I could use Stark juniors help.”

“See, Captain. If you’re honest you get what you need.” Quill said, a little condescendingly, causing Peter to look over at Steve with a small frown on his face.

Steve looked irritated, another sign that he was exhausted. 

“That’s not why Peter is here.” He reiterated, staring directly at Quill as he did, before turning to speak with Peter, his features gentling as he did. “Peter, if you would like, you’re more than welcome to work with Rocket, but there is no pressure for you to do so.”

“You gonna tell him the rest of your plan there Captain?” Quill pushed, a small frown appearing on his own face.

Peter looked between the two once again, this time, feeling a little irritation toward Quill and his obvious challenging of Steve’s authority. He watched as Steve grit his teeth.

“Yes. Of course, sorry, Peter, I was planning on speaking with you about this privately.” Steve replied, turning his body further away from Quill and placing a hand on Peter’s shoulder, leading him a few steps away from the rest of the group.

“Peter.” He began in a soft voice. “Based on what I’ve seen of you in the past and based on what Tony’s told me about you, I don’t think there is any point in trying to stop you from joining us in stepping through the portal and rescuing Tony.” He stopped, watching Peter carefully as though he was trying to gauge his reaction. “Would you like to step through with me to get Tony?”

Peter stared at him for a second, his heart pounding heavily. Steve trusted him! Steve trusted him enough to go and retrieve Tony!

“Yes!” He replied quickly, and a little too loudly. “Sorry. Yes.” He continued in a lower voice.

“Excellent.” Steve said, gently clapping his shoulder and turning him back around to re-join the others. 

“Peter has agreed to step through the portal with me. That means our plan is go.” Steve announced, his voice taking on those qualities the public often attributed to captain America. “Peter and Rocket. Repair the machine as quickly as possible. As soon as it is repaired, Nat and Quill, you two will be on standby in case the masked man gets wind of our repairs and re-appears. Rocket, while Peter and I are gone, you will be responsible for running to machine and ensuring we are able to return safely.” He looked around, making eye contact with each member of their small team. “Does everyone understand?”

They all nodded as Rocket allowed and excited grin to come on his face.

“Ay, ay captain.” He remarked, sending Peter a friendly wink. “Let’s get to work kid!”

While Peter felt a slither of hope building within his chest, a universe away, Tony was beginning to feel that all too familiar dread that came with each kidnapping. He let out a huff at the thought. Had he really been stranded and kidnapped so many times that this had become his usual? Each time he had been alone in the past, he had barely escaped with his life, and yet, each time, he had grasped a small amount of hope that his intellect and survival instincts would kick in. And yet, here he stood, surround by a small army of Marks, ready to visit an already conquered world. He couldn’t help but feel a certain amount of dread and hopelessness, knowing that this time his chances of survival were slimmer than ever before. He was startled out of his thoughts as a Mark pushed him forward, causing his chains to rattle around his ankles and wrists. He stiffened as he saw the masked man walk toward him, fully donned in his armour. 

“Stark.” The man drawled, his voice eerily similar to Tony’s own. “Since you are so unwilling to listen to reason, I have found is necessary to show you what your refusal to work with us would result in for a number of worlds across the universe.”

Tony swallowed, struggling to keep his face free of emotion as the mad man spoke to him.

“We’ll be taking a little field trip today to earth 199999.” The masked man announced loudly, keeping his gaze fixed upon Tony as he addressed his army. “We will show our guest the effects of his disobedience in a large scale.”

Tony stared back, hating that his lower lip had begun to shake a little. The masked man noticed this and stepped within his personal space, his almost cold presence creeping into Tony’s mind and causing him to instinctively recoil despite his restraints.

“What is it, Stark?” The man sneered. “Scared?”

He narrowed his eyes, glaring into the slits of the masked man’s covering and drew his mouth into a hard line. With an annoyingly shaky breath, he spoke words given to him many years prior.

“I have nothing to be afraid of.” He said between gritted teeth.

The masked laughed openly and loudly, filling the full room with its sound, easy to hear over the unnatural silence of the unbreathing marks. 

“Nothing to be afraid of!” He chuckled a little manically and he stepped even closer and lightly shoved Tony’s shoulder with a finger, causing Tony to flinch back. “Stark, I will tear you apart if I need to.” He began, standing so close Tony swore he could feel his breath through the mask. “I will tear you limb from limb and make sure that nothing but that brain remains if that’s what I need to do to get you on my side. I’ll shred you of your dignity, I slaughter everyone you love if it means that there is even a slight chance that my ones could come back.”

Tony held his breath, unwilling to breath with the words being spoken directly into his ear. He felt a coil of dread wind ever tighter in his chest causing him to wonder if his already weakened heart would simply give under the pressure of being in the man’s presence. He knew of evil this deep in his own world, of malevolent dictators killing many to meet their own needs, of killers and even his own personal enemies. But he would be the first to admit, especially when he looked back upon the experience later, that he had never been as terrified as he was in that moment. He would later reflect on this scarring moment as terrifying as he saw himself capable of the very things his doppelganger was describing. He himself had carried that same attitude when Peter had been taken from him in Thanos’ attack, he could only imagine what he would do if Pepper and Morgan had been taken, perhaps he himself would be leading the masked mans revolt. But, as he stood before his foe, he knew in his heart that he could not support such evil.

He remembered a conversation with Steve, many years ago, before their major falling out. His friend had told him that he had nothing to fear if his heart was right, not even the threat of death would be able to touch him. He wondered now if perhaps Steve had become so used to the threat of death that is no longer phased him, as right now, despite knowing he was right, he heart pounded wildly and a cold dread lingered over him.

Tony stared into the covered eyes slits, refusing to look away.

“Do whatever you must to me, but I swear to God, if you lay a finger on anyone I love, I will end you the moment I am free.” He hissed, daring to lean forward a little as he spoke.

The masked man huffed a little, a noise that Tony knew came with an accompanying smirk.

“Whatever.” He sighed, and then stepped back from Tony, looking around the large room to address his army. “Open the portal.” He ordered.

Tony’s eyes travelled from the masked man, to the large platform ahead of him, far larger than the one he had constructed back home, and far larger than the one this man had had in the warehouse. This one was large enough that ten men astride could enter at once. He swallowed nervously as the portal opened with a swirl of blue, before revealing another world on the other side.

“Forward!” Cried the masked man, leading his army through the portal.

The army moved quickly, inhumanly fast in their response to the order and moving in perfect sync with the row ahead, meaning that Tony found he barely had a moment to collect himself before he found he was being dragged toward the portal. He felt his breath coming quickly as the mark supervising him grabbed his arm and pushed him forward. He felt panic over taking him as his row arrived at the portal ramp, each step filling him with deeper and deeper dread. Finally, and yet, far too soon, he was pushed through to the other side, fresh air hitting him and dragging his mind out enough that he was able to take a deep breath. 

They marched down a deserted gravel road for several minutes, the Marks grip on Tony’s arm never wavering. He wondered what had happened on this world. Nothing seemed out of order, even in his panic clouded mind he could hear birds chirping and hear the wind rustling leaves in the trees that surrounded them. It seemed calm, peaceful even if it weren’t for the large army of humanoid robots walking down the road. 

Finally, Tony began to notice something. The trees around the now looked shorter than the ones near where they had exited to the portal. They seemed younger, and some even had poles next to them. Someone had taken the time to replant them. Tony squinted, one of the wooden poles supporting the small tree had some writing on it. He frowned, looking at each one, even though they were a little distance away from the road. Each pole had writing on it. They went passed for several minutes before the army came to a sudden halt. Tony looked ahead, drawing in a sharp breath.

It was the compound. Not his compound, but one that must have been similar to the one he built and designed in his world. But this one lay in ruins upon the ground, a roughly constructed metal fence surrounding it and haphazardly placed caution signs hanging off of it. He breathed deeply, shaking a little once again as his mind flew a head of him.

The masked man beckoned him forward and the Mark holding him responded instantly, dragging him toward where the man stood at the fence. 

“You see this?” The masked man asked, almost casually. “This is what happened to this world’s avengers after Thanos.”

The man glanced over at him, his expression hidden as Tony clenched his jaw.

“Not a single avenger survived.” He continued, hidden eyes fixed on Tony. “This world version of us died trying to save them, but it was in vain.”

Tony closed his eyes. Had there been a Pepper on this world? A Morgan? A Peter?

“He had a family. And yet, they went. All of them gone.” He lowered his voice. “Tony, we could do more than prevent this. We could go back in time across the multi verse and bring them all back. Every Tony would have a family. Tony-“

“No.” Tony whispered, cutting the man off.

The masked man clenched his fists, clearly coming to the end of his patience.

“Have it your way then.” He hissed, raising his hand to slap Tony.

He was, however interrupted.

“Sir!” One of the Marks called. “We have company.”


	3. Into the Universe

Peter knew time was moving quickly, each day was filled with hard work, deep thought and concentration, and yet, time did not go fast enough. It seemed Peter was not the only one experiencing this, he watched with some mild frustration as Steve became more and more agitated each day, not even Nat’s calming presence seemed to have much influence on him anymore. And yet, they had no choice but to wait. Rocket had made that clear, he needed to allow his system to scan through data to find signs of Tony. And so, Peter spent his days tinkering with his suit, sitting around in Tony’s lab, and avoiding Steve’s negative energy.

The tension in the air was palpable, and so, when Rocket finally announced that he had located Tony, they all released a collective sigh of relief. Peter and Steve suited up, ready to fight.

“Now.” Steve began as the small group gathered around the portal, his voice lacking the hints of frustration it had carried in the days prior. “We know this is a dangerous mission, so everyone needs to remember their role.”

He looked around at each member, beginning with Nat.

“Nat, you and Quill keep your guard up. If the masked man returns while Peter and I are off world, take him down. He’s taken one of our own, so let’s return the favour. Rocket. Stay ready, we’ll use the portable travel devices you gave us to teleport back as soon as we have Tony. Make sure your end stays open.”

The team listened intently, despite having worked out their roles prior. Good communication could never lead them astray. It was in that moment that the temporary relief that had fallen upon them at Rockets announcement suddenly lifted, leaving each with a heavy burden of responsibility, not just to Tony, but once again, to the universe. Peter suddenly found himself missing the days past, when his biggest worry has Steve snapping at him. Sensing a heavy gaze, he turned to find Steve himself looking at him intently. Peter offered a small smile and a nod, before he turned and led the way up the steps to the portal, currently dormant before them. He looked through the metal circle before him, currently just showing the other side of the compound. Steve stood beside him, his presence comforting. Peter reminded himself of Steve’s capable ability to lead the avengers into battle. He was in good hands.

“Um, so, I know this might be a bit late to ask.” Peter suddenly asked, turning to see Rocket turning the machine on, the large machine whirring as it quickly came to life, sparks of blue lighting as the portal slowly opened. “But are you one-hundred present sure we’re going to the right universe? I mean I trust you and all, but aren’t there infinite worlds?”

He saw Steve give him an odd look out of the corner of his eye.

Rocket waved his hand.

“Kid, I’ve lived in the far reaches of the galaxy for years, I know how space works.”

“Yeah but space and the multi-verse are two different things!” Peter exclaimed, panic suddenly filling his chest.

He looked up at Steve, who, not for the first time, had a small amount of uncertainty on his face.

“We’ve got to trust him.” Steve assured him, seemingly telling himself this also as he seemed to unconsciously fiddle with the portable travel device on his wrist. He put a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “Rocket said he traced Tony’s life signature to this world, we have to trust him.”

Peter looked up at Steve for a long moment, the older man’s face was tense, almost desperate. Peter hesitated for a moment longer.

“Peter, we have to go now. Tony needs us.” Steve urged, sounding seconds away from snapping, his hand squeezing Peter’s shoulder a little too tight.

Peter looked at Rocket once more, then nodded.

“Okay, yeah.” He finally sighed, casting one more glance at Steve. “Let’s do this.”

Steve let out an audible sigh of relief, and, keeping a slightly light hand on Peter’s shoulder, led them to the portal entrance.

“You ready?” He asked, looking down at Peter.

Peter nodded quickly, fear gripping him.

“Okay.” Steve replied. “Let’s do this.”

With one last, shaky breath, Peter allowed Steve’s hand on his shoulder to guide him forward through the portal, and, at the very last second, he clenched his eyes shut.

“Here we go.” Steve encouraged.

And with that, the two stepped through the portal.

The second they stepped through Peter gasped as a sensation like falling overtook him. He cried out and found himself wrenching his eyes open, gripping tightly to Steve’s arm as the two fell into the vast emptiness of the universe. Darkness surrounded them, the only light source coming from a small pinprick of light far below them.

“Steve!” Peter screamed over the roaring panic in his ears. “Are we going to die?”

He looked over to where Steve was, only able to see a vague outline of his face as the two fell through the darkness.

“Kid, we’re picking up speed!” Steve yelled back, his arm tensing under Peter’s grip.

Suddenly a cold blast of wind hit them, causing Peter to yelp as it rushed past them, roaring louder and louder as they fell.

“Where did that come from!” Peter cried, squeezing his eyes shut once again as the wind blasted his face.

Steve seemed silent for a long moment, then cried out.

“Look!”

Peter startled and looked at Steve’s face again. It was easier to see. Quickly, he looked down as saw what was a small pin prick of light, was quickly growing as they fell toward it.

“Oh my god, oh my god. We’re going to die!” Peter cried.

Another blast of air joined the other, seemingly coming out of the hole. They cried out in surprise as they continued to fall.

The hole came closer and closer as they fell, and Peter shut his eyes once again as the wind continued.

“Peter. I think.” Steve began, then hesitated. “I think that’s a… a city!”

Peter forced his eyes open once again and looked down. Sure enough, down below, the bright light was beginning to take form. A large city sprawled out through the circle. It was like looking through a key whole. Complete darkness surrounded them as they continued to fall toward it. 

Panic rose in Peter’s chest once again. They were going to fall through the portal and onto the city streets! He looked at Steve once again, only to see the man staring at the city with wide, slightly unsure eyes.

“Cap!” He cried as the light of the city below them now illuminated them enough to see his friends scared expression. “What do we do?”

He watched as Steve clenched his jaw, and began to open his mouth, when, quite suddenly, something off to his right seemed to grab his attention.

Peter looked to where Steve was staring. It appeared that the end of the portal was fast approaching, and the two were seconds from falling down to the world below. But Peter saw something fascinating, something he had not been able to see in the midst of his panic. Within the darkness, as they approached certain death, a thin layer of translucent blue separated them from the city below, it sparked at the edges, much as it did on the portal back home. As they fell, Peter saw the edge of the darkness of their portal, and screwed his eyes shut once more, a cry escaping him as a blinding light suddenly filled the air. 

Then there was nothing.

Confused, Peter opened his eyes, and immediately felt his jaw drop.

They stood in the midst of the translucent blue of the portal, no longer falling, but simply standing upright. And before them, no longer lay an entire city, but rather, a luxurious apartment. Peter looked up at Steve, his face seemed pinched, his mouth in a hard frown.

“Wh-where are we?” Peter asked quietly, his hand still digging into Steve’s arm.

The place seemed a little familiar to Peter, but in an unexpected way. The way can walk past a friend without recognising them if they are the person you least expect to see. The couch in the apartment seemed to register something in Peter’s mind.

The lift in the apartment opened, and a short, dark haired man walked out wearing and oversized hoodie, a cap, and sunglasses on his face. Peter frowned, studying him through the portal. Suddenly, his heart leapt in his chest.

“Mr. Stark!” He cried.

Unconsciously using his strength, he kept his grip on Steve’s arm and ran through the portal, his heart filled with joy.

“Kid, wait. You don’t know!” Steve tried, but was over powered by Peter’s enthusiasm.

Peter ran through the portal, Steve stumbling after him, attempting to warn him to no avail.

“Mr. Stark!” Peter cried again as the entered the other side, now standing in the man’s apartment. He let go of Steve’s arm and ran towards the shorter man.

Mr. Stark looked over at him, startled, and began to step back, but was overwhelmed when Peter grabbed him and pulled him into a hug.

“Mr. Stark, we’ve been so worried about you. But we’re here now and you can come back with us, and… hey! Did you just punch me!” Peter exclaimed, stepping back from the man in front of him.  
Mr. Stark stared at him with hard eyes, and then outstretched his arm.

“JARVIS, call Steve.” He snapped, eyes wide and stepping back as he looked between Peter and Steve.

“Tony…” Steve tried, causing Mr. Stark’s eyes to widen as the iron man suit began to encase him.

“Nu-uh! Stay right there! JARVIS!” He cried.

“Sir, I have alerted Captain Rogers, he is currently in the lift.” JARVIS replied smoothly.

Peter stared with wide eyes as Mr. Stark stared at them, palms held out, repulsors bright as he prepared to attack. He was so confused; however, something was off.

“Mr. Stark..” He tried again, taking a step closer.

“One more step kid and I’ll blow you to kingdom come!” Mr. Stark snapped, his eyes hard.

Then it hit Peter. This was not their Tony. Their Tony had brown eyes. This one had blue.

“Oh.” He said, disappointment filling him.

“Oh! Is right kid!” Stark snapped. “JARVIS where’s Steve!”

The lift opened to Peter’s right, revealing Steve Rogers in a t-shirt and sweat pants, gripping his shield and ready for a fight. His eye’s widened as he took in the scene in front of him.

“Tony.” The other captain said calmly. “What’s going on?”

The captain remained just out of the lift entry, his eyes now settled on the other Steve Rogers in the room, a frown on his face.

Peter watched as this Tony kept his palms raised, but allowed his eyes to move over to the Steve standing at the lift.

“Looks like two over eager fans.” Tony said, returning his hard gaze to Peter.

“No, we – we’re not fans, sir!” Peter began, speaking rapidly. “Well, actually we are, well, I am. But that’s not why we’re here!”

The Tony before him raised an eyebrow.

“Tony, it’s just breaking and entering, we’ll just keep them here and call the cops.” The other Steve suggested, his voice not quite as harsh as it was earlier.

“No.” Steve spoke from behind Peter. “Don’t call the police.”  
The other Steve stood straighter somehow, and glanced quickly at Tony, raising his shield slowly.

“JAR-“ The Steve began.

“We’re here from another world looking for our Tony Stark. He was taken away from us during battle and we need him.” Steve explained quickly, and yet, somehow, managed to sound calm and in control as he did so.

The other Steve and Tony shared a quick look, before their gaze returned to their intruders.

“JARVIS.” The Tony said softly. “Play security feed starting from the entry of our two…guests.”

A small screen appeared before Tony, he looked down at it, before looking over at the other Steve.

“Steve.” He called quietly.

The other Steve looked hesitant for a second, his eyes darting between Peter and Steve. But slowly, he lowered his shield and walked over to join the other Tony. He stood very close to the other man, his back to blocking out Peter and Steve’s view of the screen. Peter frowned as he watched the other Steve put a very gentle hand on Tony’s arm. He looked over his shoulder at Steve, who was watching the two with a blank expression. Then, as if sensing Peter’s eyes on him, he looked directly at Peter, and offered a small, slightly re-assuring smile. Peter looked back at the other two men, but began stepping back to where Steve stood so the two could be side-by-side. They watched as the two spoke quietly with each other.

“So.” Peter whispered, his eyes never leaving the two before them. “What are the chances Rocket sent us to the wrong world.”

Steve was silent for a moment.

“Yeah, I’d say those chances are pretty high.” 

“What do we do?” Peter hissed, his earlier panic returning. He took his eyes off of the two before them to look up at Steve.

Steve kept his eyes fixed ahead, but placed a hand on Peter’s shoulder, his jaw tight as he spoke.

“We keep calm. Don’t panic. We’ve got our transport devices. As soon as we can, we’ll leave and go back.”

Peter nodded, returning his eyes to the two before them. He was silent for a long moment, then, before he had even thought it through, blurted out.  
“What if we get this Mr. Stark to build a portal with an accurate tracking device so we can find our Mr. Stark?”

He looked back up at Steve, who, not for the first time, looked a little taken aback by Peters words.

“Pete, we’re not kidnappers.”

“No, no, no!” Peter hissed, his eyes darting to the other two to make sure they hadn’t heard Steve’s words. “Let’s convince them of the truth, that we’re just looking for Mr. Stark, and then maybe, just maybe, he’ll be able to help us.”

Steve stood silently for a long moment, his mouth opening and closing. Then, he turned and fully faced Peter, gripping his arm.

“Pete. We can’t expect other people to help us just because we’re desperate. Look, they’ve clearly got a good thing going here, so let’s not get in their way.” He whispered quickly, keeping his eyes looked with Peter’s.

“But you and Mr. Stark are always telling me I should ask for help if I need it.” Peter whispered back.

“Because you know us.” Steve hissed. He took a deep breath. “Pete, these are strangers. For all we know we’ve stumbled onto a world where we are not welcome and-“

“All the more reason for them to help!” Peter tried. “Don’t you want Mr. Stark back?”

Steve looked taken aback, his eyes wide.

“Of course I want Tony back.” He stated, then stepped back, returning his gaze to the two before them. “Don’t ever doubt that.”

Peter narrowed his eyes for a long second, studying Steve’s face. He opened his mouth to speak, but, thankfully for Steve, he was interrupted.

“Well, looking at the footage it appears you came through a portal, directly into my living room.” This Mr. Stark assessed, voice barley containing his excitement as he continued to look at the footage.

The captain stood beside him now, his eyes now trained on their two intruders.

“Where’d you come from.” He asked, his voice hard and commanding.

Peter opened his mouth, but was once again cut off.

“We come from earth, or, our version of earth. Our Tony Stark was taken by a masked man who intends to rule the universe.” Steve spoke, his own voice sounding not at all different from his duplicate.

“A bit far-fetched.” The other Steve replied, his eyes narrowing and arm flexing as he gripped the shield.

“You have to believe us.” Peter rushed, ignoring Steve’s annoyed sigh, he was far too anxious to wait for Steve to patiently talk them out of this. “We just want our Mr. Stark back.”

The other Mr. Stark raised his head, his face plate lifted as he assessed Peter, an eye brow raised.

“Sorry kid, we’ve seen too many things to get taken in by a passable imitation of Cap and the Spiderling.” He raised his palm.

“No, no, no. Mr. Stark, wait!” Peter cried as the sound of the repulsor filled the room.

“Don’t hurt the kid, Stark.” Steve commanded from next to him.

“Tony…” The other Steve tried quietly, looking a little nervous.

Peter felt his Spider senses set in, and just as the other Mr. Stark fired, he aimed up, shooting to the ceiling of the apartment and crouching upside down on the roof, not escaping without injury however, with a small grimace, he rubbed his wrist.

He watched as the other Mr. Stark’s eyes widened a little, looking at the now empty space Peter had occupied.

“Tony.” His Steve implored, face deceivingly calm as his own grip on his shield tightened. “We’re not here to cause trouble. We just want to find our Tony, and then we’ll get out your way.”

A tense silence filled the room, the other Mr. Stark now pointing his repulsor at Steve. 

“If you lower your hands, Spiderman and I will be out of your way.” Steve urged, and then held up his wrist. “We have a way out of here, we won’t be in your way.”

Peter watched as this Tony’s face failed to hide his curiosity at the device attached to Steve’s wrist.

“Please, Mr. Stark.” Peter tried from the ceiling, “We just want our Mr. Stark back home.”

Peter watched as this Steve and Tony shared a small look, almost communicating silently between the two of them. Then, unexpectedly, this Mr. Stark lowered his palm as the other Captain stepped forward.  
“We believe you.” He announced, his voice filled with authority. 

Peter sighed in relief, quickly lowering himself from the ceiling and retuning to Steve’s side.

“Thank you.” Steve replied, relaxing his shield, a small smile on his face. 

“Better get moving.” The other captain stated, continuing to eye the two warily.

Peter nodded, eager to return back to their own earth and perhaps whack Rocket for sending them to the wrong world, and turned to Steve.

“You ready?” He asked, raising his wrist.

To his surprise, Steve smiled briefly, before his eyes flickered down to Peter’s wrist, his face morphing into one of horror.

“God, no.” he whispered.

Peter wrinkled his brow, then glanced down, panic filling his being.

“Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit. Cap, what do I do?” He hissed.

“Uh…” Steve began, noticeably panicking.

“Something wrong?” The other Steve called out, voice suspicious.

Peter gulped, gripping his wrist.

“Well, um.” He began, “You see, when you shot at me, well…”

“You broke our transporter.” Steve finished for him, his voice a little harsh.

The two looked back at the other Steve and Tony.

The other Steve looked livid, his arm tense, the Mr. Stark however, looked delighted.

“Well.” The man declared, with a barely suppressed smile “Better let me have a look at it.” 

Peter and Steve shared a small, worried look.

“In the meantime, Steve, it appears we’ll be having some guests stay with us.” The Mr. Stark said, casually pushing past his Steve and walking over to Steve and Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I took a very long break.


	4. A Whole New World

Tony sometimes wondered why it was that he attracted pain, even outside of his own world. Perhaps the universes were connected to each other, communicating the transgressions and good deeds of those who lived in each, ensuring there was no escape from receiving the punishment for mis-deeds. But, perhaps each universe was different in their own cruel way. Surely, in his own world, he would have been dead by now, but, it seemed this universe held a different fate for him, showing a strange kindness in the interruption of the beating he had been only seconds away from receiving.

A hand gripped his arm painfully tight.

“Sir, we must leave this universe.” A Mark reported from beside him.

The masked man turned, as the sound of vehicles came closer.

“Quick, we must go to the woods and return to our own world at once!” He demanded, waving an arm and immediately setting his army into motion. “Unshackle his legs so he can run, but do not let Stark out of your sight!”

Tony’s eyes widened as he watched the army turn, and as one, sprint into the forest. An odd sight, even the most well trained armies would have broken straight lines when sprinting away from an approaching enemy, but the one remained in formation, heading straight toward the thick cover of the trees surrounding them. 

“Hurry!” The masked man snapped at the Mark who held him.

And with that, they were in motion, Tony attempting to keep up at the Mark went forward at a pace he had never experienced on his own two feet.

They rush off of the road, a small distance behind the army that is heading toward a portal that Tony can barely make out between the trees. He watched as the masked man ran slightly ahead of them, somehow keeping pace with the robots around him.

This was his chance. He could do this.

Gritting his teeth, he looked, as they entered the thick forest, at the distance between himself, and the masked man. They were close, so he would have to act quickly. Raising his head further, he saw they were only a few trees away from the portal. Taking in as deep of a breath as he could, he counted the trees they passed off in his head.

Five trees to go, and then he would be trapped once again with the masked man. 

“Come on, Stark.” He muttered to himself, feeling adrenaline coursing through him.

Three trees.

“Fuck. Come on.”

One tree.

The masked man stepped through the portal, disappearing into the other world.

“Now!” Tony cried to himself.

As quick as he could, he raised his chained wrists and threw the small amount around the neck of the mark, and then threw his weight to the side with a loud cry of effort. The Mark resisted, but did stumble, throwing them off of course to the portal. The Mark instinctively grabbed at the chains chocking him, despite his robotic life force, and, with his free arm, smacked Tony squarely in the cheek.

“Fucking hell.” Tony grit out to himself, forcing himself not to loosen his hold on the mark, and, being filled with a second wave of adrenaline, screamed and threw his weight back again, this time, causing the Mark to stumble more purposefully.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw the portal close, clearly having been timed to be open for a short time to allow them to escape. With that small victory, he let out a cry and pushed his weight back again, somehow catching the Mark’s foot with his ankle and sending them tumbling down on the leafy ground.

The two grappled for control, the mark, despite its superior strength, was clearly thrown off by the sudden battle and wound up on its back, Tony above it.

“Let me go!” Tony found himself almost growling out.

The Mark reached up, grabbing the chains on Tonys wrist’s, and snapped them, before instantly snapping a hand around his throat.

“Fuck.” Tony let out, unable to breathe, panic beginning to form in his mind.

His now loosened hands seemed to have a life of their own. One coming up to fight the one strangling him, the other groping the ground around him.  
Choking now, his free hand landed on something sharp and solid. Without hesitating, he picked up the rock, and, without another thought, brought it down as hard as he could on the head of the Mark below him. 

The Mark loosened its grip just long enough for Tony to roll off of it and gasp painfully for breath, now clutching at his own throat. 

He was dazed, and he knew he was doomed. Rolling onto his back, he saw, through blurred vision, that the Mark had recovered, and now gathered the rock he had been hit with only moments before. Tony attempted to sit up, but found the Mark now suddenly atop of him, straddling his chest, and oddly sadistic grin on its robotic face. It lifted both arms, the rock held between its hands.

Instinctively, Tony raised but hands to cover his face, an effective move had he had his armour. However, it would do little now.

He screwed his eyes shut, and awaited deaths blow. Suddenly, the sound of a repulsor filled if ears, and the weight on his chest suddenly lightened.

Confused, he kept his arms over his face, and opened an eye, only to see nothing but the leafy green of the trees above him. 

“Huh.” He let out, and, still on edge, sat up quickly and looked around.

To his side, the Mark lay, a large hole in its chest, the rock still tightly clutched in its hands. Tony frowned, his brain working quickly.

The masked man could not be trusted, he knew that, had known it since they had first encountered him. He had lied already, surely he would again if it meant a means to an end. And judging by the repulsor sound, and the gaping hole in the Marks chest, he had now stumbled into a whole new world of trouble.

Turning to face the direction the repulsor beam had come from, he put on what he hoped was an apologetic smile.

Before him stood a man he recognised immediately, even if they were on different worlds. 

“Hey Rhodey.” He offered quietly, watching closely as his face morphed seamlessly from shocked to angry in mere seconds.

That confirmed his theory, he was in a whole new form of trouble.


	5. Rhodey

Tony stared up at the man before him, fully armed out in what he could only assume was this universes Iron Patriot armour. Still reeling from his fight with the Mark, he opened his mouth to speak, only to close it again when he saw the man’s facing twisting with anger, his palms raising and pointing directly at Tony.

“Woah, woah, woah!” He cried, quickly attempting the diffuse the situation, raising his own palm, only to quickly let it drop to the drop as pain shot up through his shoulder.

The man’s face twisted, even from the short distance away that he was, Tony could see his eyes shining in sorrow.

“Who are you!” Rhodey demanded, clearly ready to fire.

“I think you know who I am.” He replied, attempting to keep his voice calm despite the shake he heard in it as he spoke through clenched teeth, pain racing through him.

“No,” Rhodey answered quickly, his voice shaking with disbelief “No, because the man I know as you, is dead!”

Tony felt his eyes widen. He’d been hoping the masked man had lied about his demise on this earth. By appearing before his friend, he was surely disrupting some of law that guided those who travelled through the multi-verse.

“Shit.” He said quietly, closing his eyes as a wave of dizziness aver took him. Perhaps he had been more badly injured than he earlier thought. Gritting is teeth against the pain that now rose through his neck, he spoke as smoothly as he could.

“Rhodey, you’ve got to listen to me.” He tried, stifling a groan of pain.

“Oh, I’m listening.” The other man snapped, stepping towards him, using the height of the armour to tower over him as he arrived at Tony’s feet, blocking out some of the sunlight that had been gently streaming down through the leaves above. “And damn, you had better have a fucking good explanation for this one Tony.”

Tony winced as a fresh wave of pain ran through him, momentarily taking his breath away and leaving him struggling to focus. He blinked as his vision began to blur further.

The man before him knelt over him, and, despite his deteriorating state, Tony could clearly see the pain in his expression, and the tears flowing freely down his face.

“I watched you die.” Rhodey hissed. “I watched as Pepper said goodbye, as the kid said goodbye. You died! And now you have the audacity to re-appear like nothing has changed.”

Struggling to maintain consciousness, Tony fell completely back, panting for breath as he stared up vacantly toward the sky.

“Rhodey.” He choked out quietly, “Help.”

He closed his eyes, ready to be embraced by the darkness, the pain in his shoulder overwhelming.

“Oh, for fucks sake.” Rhodey whispered.

Tony screwed his eyes shut further as his heart sunk, the sounds of the iron patriot departing filling to forest, leaving him abandoned beside the no lifeless Mark. At the thought of the Mark, a surge of panic filled Tony, causing his eyes to fly open.

“They’ll find me.” He whispered to himself.

In his weakened state, he brought his uninjured arm over to feel at the muscle of his injured upper arm, groaning as his fingers identified a piece of metal embedded under his skin.

“Gotta get it out.” He muttered to himself desperately as he scratched at the skin, not noticing the tears of pain that now fell freely down his own face.

He paused his scratching as the sounds of the iron patriot once again filled the forest. He had only moments to prepare himself as the man landed directly in front of him, anger somehow emanating from a single gesture. Tony dropped his hand with another groan of pain and Rhodey allowed his face plate to rise, staring down as his long-lost friend.

The two stared at each other once again, Tony barley able to supress his groans of pain as he waited for the man to make a move. Finally, Rhodey stepped forward, holding a small needle in his hand, and causing Tony to panic slightly as the man walked toward him, calm anger radiating off of him as he arrived, and knelt swiftly by Tony’s injured side.

“I’m gonna help you out, Tony.” He said quietly. “This is a fast-acting pain killer, created by one of your favourites.”

Tony simply groaned, his head falling back again as the pain began to edge over his chest toward his heart, fuelling his panic.

He gasped suddenly as something pricked his skin, barely perceptible above the pain coursing through him.

“That’s it. Just try and stay calm.” Rhodey order as gently as he could.

Tony allowed himself to let out a few more tears of pain before he noticed the pain retreating quickly away from his chest, allowing him to breath properly. He snapped his eyes open, allowing them to land once more on Rhodeys face. He opened his mouth, attempting to speak, but all that came out was a small chuckle of relief as the pain quickly left his body completely, leaving him breathless and struggling to wrap his mind around it. With a sigh of relief, he reached out absent mindedly and grabbed his friend’s wrist.

“Rhodey.” He croaked, just now realising how dry his throat was.

“You’ve got some explaining to do.” He friend hissed.

Tony stared at him for a long second, and then nodded.

“Help me up and I’ll explain everything.” He agreed, finding it much easier to speak now that the threat of death had once again left for now.

Rhodey stared down at him for a long second, before he stood, leaving Tony to momentarily panic, wondering if Rhodey would now leave him alone in the forest. Just as he was prepared to plead, the man extended his hand, one that Tony gladly accepted, and allowed himself to be pulled up by his uninjured arm.

The two stood in silence for a long moment, Tony still swaying slightly on his feet.

“Look man,” Rhodey said after a long moment, “I’ve got the others with me, they’re over at the compound, and I’m gonna be honest with you, they’re not gonna take this well. I mean Pepper spent the last year trying to grieve and move on. Morgan’s been asking for a bed time story. Pete’s a mess. Happy is probably the best off out of all of us. I mean-“

Tony held up his hand, immediately signalling his friend to stop.

“Imma stop you right there.” He said, attempting to keep his tone even.

Rhodey raised an eyebrow, not pleased by this interruption.

“You need to understand one thing very, very quickly.” Tony began, “I’m not your Tony.”

Tony watched, waiting to see what reaction his friend would have. For once, he got what he expected. The man’s face twisted in confusion and he held up his own palms.

“woah, woah. What do you mean, you’re not our Tony?”

Tony stepped forward, grabbing his friends arm as he spoke.

“Rhodey, I need you to understand this. I’m not from this universe. I live on a different earth in a different universe. I was kidnapped by a man who is attempting to rule across the multi-verse and has decided he needs me to do this. It is imperative that you do not mistake me for your own Tony-“

“Not mistake you?” Rhodey cut in, his eyes wide. “Tony, this is you. I don’t know what shit you’re pulling here.”

“I’m not pulling any shit.” Tony spoke quickly over his friend.

“Well you certainly look exactly like Tony.” The man argued.

“Yeah, well you’re gonna have to believe me because if we don’t get out of here than more robots much like the way you hole punched back there are gonna come and kill every one. So either we can stand here and debate the theory and probabilities of the multi-verse, or you can trust me and I can get this fucking tracker out of my arm and then I can get off of this planet and back to my own.”

Rhodey stared at him for a long second, thinking things through. Tony took a moment to consider how similar this Rhodey was to his own.

“Alright. I’ll take you to the others and we can cut that thing out and send it somewhere once we get back to the house.” Rhodey agreed. The man seemed to hesitate before speaking his next sentence. “But Tony. I’m just warning you now, don’t expect a happy greeting once we find the others.”

Tony watched him for a moment, before nodding.

“Let’s get going.” He said.

He followed Rhodey as the two walked out of the forest. It seemed to be much further than Tony remembered, but, he considered, he been dragged through by a robot, and then he had also been fairly uninjured compared to his current injured, and mildly drugged state. But Rhodey seemed to walk fairly quickly, only occasionally glancing over his shoulder to ensure Tony was keeping up with him, seemingly paying no mind to the birds that had once again begun chirping in the absence of any conflict. They reached the edge of the thick forest soon enough, and once again, Tony could see the small, newly planted trees before them, and, beyond that, a small group gathered around two cars parked before the ruins of the compound.

“What are the names on the trees?” Tony asked, bracing himself for the answer.

Rhodey was silent for a long moment, before turning to face Tony.

“Those are the names of those who died due to Thanos.” He explained. “We brought everyone back, but then, the inevitable happened. People had been on planes with vanished pilots, planes crashing into the oceans, the mountains, into cities. People re-appearing at the bottom of the ocean. It was horrible. We saved the world, but we lost so much in the process. Then war broke out, countries tried to re-establish power they lost, leaders tried to re-gain positions of power. I’m sure you can imagine.”

Tony studied his friend for a moment.

“Was it worth it?” He asked gently.

Rhodeys eyes lowered, filling with tears.

“You can’t ask that, Tony.” He said, trying to hide a small sniffle.

Tony nodded.

“Come on.” Rhodey sighed, “Let’s get this over with.”

They walked out into the opening, and, even from this distance, Tony could recognise the faces not too far away from him, it concerned him how similar they looked. He almost cringed as he saw Peter turn as he heard Rhodey’s approach. Even from the distance, he could see Peter trying to see who was walking with Rhodey, he braced himself for the oncoming assault. One by one, the group turned, staring as they approached.

Finally, they arrived were within a few meters, enough to be sure that none of them were hallucinating Tony’s appearance. He kept his eyes fixed on the ground before him, he couldn’t stand to see the heart break on their faces.

“Oh my god.” He heard a very familiar voice cry gently. “Tony?”

He raised his head, sure enough, Pepper stood, having walked out to meet them. She stared at him with teary, disbelieving eyes. He frowned, she was much thinner than his Pepper, but based on the fact they were nearly identical, he guessed she hadn’t been eating or sleeping. He held her gaze for a long moment, and then watched in horror as she seemed to crumble before his, letting out a blood curling wail of pure grief as she fell to the ground.

Rhodey sent him a glare, and immediately knelt beside her, gently soothing her.

Tony watched on, unsure of what to do. He raised his eyes to see Peter, Happy and Morgan standing stock still, simply staring at him. He watched with some heartbreak, as a single tear slid down Peter’s face.


End file.
